georgia. plus the president's speech before the united nations general assembly. we will be back at 9:00 a.m. hope you will join us. until then have a great morning. >> bye-bye. >> i'm going to drown. oh, my gosh, please help me quickly. >> dave price is live on the scene with the latest. president obama makes his first united nations address as leader of the free world while his former opponent john mccain is here to warn the commander in chief about a crucial upcoming decision. a stunning revelation by actress mackenzie phillips about her mammas and papas father

john. the explosive tale of her affair with her own father. and a little 6-year-old girl on a collision course with a car, you won't believe what saved her. early this wednesday morning, september 23rd, 2009. captioning funded by cbs good morning, i'm harry smith, and welcome back to maggie rodriguez. >> thanks, harry. good morning, everybody. boy, it is not a pretty picture in the southeast and in georgia where the flooding there has really, really taken a toll. nine people have died in the aftermath of those storms. there have been millions and millions of dollars in damage. this is georgia where it looks literally like a river running through the middle of town. we're going to check in with dave price there in a minute. and it seems like there isn't a day that goes by that we don't talk about h1n1. they're talking about it in austin, texas, where the emergency room of the big

hospital there is being slammed. we're going to talk to the director of emergency services there of what kind of influx of patients they've got going on there. it seems maybe relief may be on the horizon in the southeast. the downpours for now that killed at least nine people have stopped, but the devastation is so bad that the governor of georgia is asking the federal government to declare a state of emergency. our own dave price is there with the latest. >> reporter: we're just outside of atlanta. you can see behind me the water beginning to recede, but it's still about 4 feet to 4 1/2 feet deep in some locations, and the current is running like it did in the rivers that it overgrew. georgians this morning beginning to wake up and measure their losses. torrential rain over the last three days, close to a foot of rain in hartfield international airport. and damage estimates this morning at $250 million, getting from one point to another, a very difficult challenge this morning. roadways are a mess.

seven state roads are closed, 12 bridges closed, and a section of i-20 closed this morning for the busy early morning commute. but all of that pales to the horrible human toll. most of the deaths were from drowning when cars were swept off the road. and yesterday, police released a 911 call of one storm victim's last moments. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: 39-year-old sadie finished working the overnight shift at sam's club, when raging waters from a creek swept her car up and lodged it in trees. she called 911 and said the water was coming in fast. >> listen to me, you're not going to drown. roll down your windows if you're able to get out of your vehicle. >> i'm in the back of my car. >> ma'am, if you can break it, break it. do whatever you can to get our your vehicle. >> yes, but my car -- >> it doesn't matter about your car.

what matters is your life. ma'am, i'm right here. you've got to calm down. work with me. >> it's taking me down. >> stay on the phone with me. i'm going to stay with you. >> i'm going to drown. >> you're not going to drown. we're going to be there for you. just stay with me, okay. >> okay. >> stay with me. >> reporter: rescue crews tried to swim into the water to find the woman, but the waters were moving too swiftly and they couldn't spot her. >> we had to swim out. there was no way anyone could drive across that. >> reporter: what's particularly heart breaking, she was just 3/10 of a mile from her own home. the mother of two children. water remains dangerous right here. all you need is 1/4 inch or so and the water behind me, well, contamination is an issue. raw sewage, debris, and chemicals. some of the sewage plants have been overrun, as well, and are

closed. electrocution is a danger. some of these wires are live and are under great stress with some of them dipping into the current. what's typically a 45-minute commute from one location to toot in downtown atlanta today may end up being 4 1/2 hours. the trouble continues here in georgia. we'll send it back to you in new york. >> all right, dave, thank you. now to president obama's very busy day. he will make his first address before the u.n. general assembly today. and he will also hold meetings with the leaders of japan and russia. cbs news senior white house correspondent bill plante joins us this morning from the u.n. with the details. good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning, maggie. in that first ever speech to the united nations, president obama will say that he is taking u.s. foreign policy in a new direction, and he will ask the rest of the world to join him. the president will tell the world body that his top priorities are curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, acting to slow the effects of

climate change, and stabilizing the world economic order. >> this is an opportunity not only to engage and to recommit to the u.n., which he will no doubt do, but to challenge the u.n. to deal with the real problems. >> reporter: policy discussions aside, no visit to the u.n. is without drama. as presidents do their best to avoid unscripted encounters with, for example, iran's president ahmadinejad, who is certainly not invited to president obama's reception for almost everyone else. then there's libya's gadhafi who gave a hero's welcome to the release of the lockerbie bomber. you can bet they won't meet. and in a side light, donald trump has been drawn into a controversy involving libya's gadhafi. the libyan leader has pitched an elaborate tent on trump-owned land north of new york, apparently without trump's knowledge. trump's office is looking into

the matter and in a statement they say the property was leased on a short-term basis to middle eastern partners who may or may not have had a relationship with mr. gadhafi. this falls in the category of, you can't make it up. >> so true. bill plante at the u.n. thank you, bill. joinings now exclusively from washington is republican senator john mccain. good morning, senator mccain. >> good morning, maggie. >> let's start with bill plante mentioned, gadhafi can't find a place he's welcome here to stay. do you think maybe he shouldn't have been invited? >> i think his problem is he can't find a place to pitch his tent. i think there's hotel rooms available. fidel castro and a number of other people have come throughout the years. his insistence on the tent is a major part of his problem. >> let's get to afghanistan. this morning, every major newspaper is reporting on how american support for the war there is waning because more troops have been dying ever

since that new strategy was put in place back in july. now, general mccrystal wants even more troops and president obama is holding off. do you believe that the president is wise to wait and weigh his options? or do you think he's being wishy washy at a time he should be decisive? >> well, first of all, many of us knew there would be increased casualties, unfortunately, as we moved into areas that are controlled by the taliban. second of all, the strategy is there. admiral mullen, the chairman joint chiefs of staff said that strategy was the one developed in march. the president was very strong in march as to what needed to be done. it's clear we need additional troops. and the longer we wait and delay, the more americans will be put at risk unnecessarily while we are -- because we haven't implemented a new strategy that will succeed, certainly can succeed without sufficient -- as soon as we get sufficient troops there.

>> we have implemented this new strategy where the focus is on protecting afghan civilians. >> actually that's not the strategy. >> that is -- >> no, it's the strategy -- >> that's the main focus of the strategy. >> no, the strategy is to go out as we did in the surge in afghanistan to clear the area's hold, work and operate with the afghan military as we build it up, provide a stable economic and political environment so that the process of normalization, stabilization can go forward. >> well, while trying not to kill afghani civilians in hopes they will be more likely to cooperate with you. >> just as we did in iraq, yes, exactly. and that succeeded even though many, including the president at the time did not believe that that would work. >> okay. i'd like to ask you nifinally

about something glenn beck said in an interview with katie couric. not sure you heard about this. but i'm curious what your reaction is. this is a quote, glenn beck, i think john mccain is a weird progressive like theodore roosevelt. i think john mccain would have been worse for the economy than barack obama. what's your response? >> my only response i can make to a comment like that is any time my name is mentioned in the same breath as teddy roosevelt i am honored. teddy roosevelt's my here row. thanks, maggie. >> thanks for taking the time. >> thanks for having me on. now let's check in with russ mitchell at the news desk. >> good morning, maggie, good morning, everybody. while the recession is easing, many americans out of work. the house has voted to extend unemployment benefits in the workers in the hardest-hit states. 13 extra weeks to jobless in 27 states. the senate is working on a similar bill.

the terror investigation that began with a rash in denver and new york has expanded and put cities nationwide on alert. hunting for suspects in possible hidden explosive and is the attorney general tells "60 minutes" he is not taking the threat lightly. >> i think it is clear that something very serious and something very organized was underway. >> the suspect of the center of the alleged plot has admitted he has links to al qaeda. bullets were flying at the border between california and mexico. four people were injured as four people fired shots to stop three vans suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants, more than 70 people taken into custody and border traffic into the u.s. was stopped for hours. southern california has already had its share of devastating wildfires and out come the santa ana winds. northwest of los angeles grew from 200 acres to more than 8,000 acres in the last 24 hours. more than 2,000 homes were under mandatory or voluntary

evacuation. and people in sidney, australia were told to stay indoors this morning to avoid a massive dust storm. it is the country's worst dust storm in 70 years. look at that. thick, red dust swept over the city from drought-stricken areas inland, hundreds of people complained of breathing problems. imagine that. it is coming up on 7:12. let's go back to dave price down south for a check of the weather around the rest of the country. dave, good morning. >> good morning to you, russ. georgia remains dry so far today, widely scattered showers are a possible. the deep south getting swamped, 1 to 3 inches places like brownsville, texas. and over the last week or so, 9 inches in macon, 9 inches in athens, and this wraps up what has been a three-year drought, georgia, mississippi, alabama, now in surpluses. heaviest in south texas to alabama and again isolated showers here. wilmington, north carolina, getting 3 1/2 inches, thunderstorms just sitting off the coast. as far as the rest of the country, central appalachians

are seeing scattered showers and northeast is gray and mild. rockies cold and gray, 20 degrees or more below the norm, 51 yesterday in denver, similar today, california and the west, high heat and fire danger as you mentioned, russ, in your newscast. >> more from the floods in georgia in just a little while. harry, back to you. up next, an incredible crash caught on tape. a little girl in the wrong place

at the wrong time. she walks away unharmed. we'll have the amazing story. also ahead, the hospital inundated with flu victims. what they're doing to handle the outbreak down in texas. and she's the daughter of rock 'n' roll royalty. we'll have mackenzie phillips' bomb shell allegations about her father. paying $8 a day for lunch can add up fast. so i'm packing my own lunch now-- for less than $3. thanks to walmart. just two times a week saves my family over $500 a year. save money. live better. walmart.

what? where? don't freak. it's gone. how? who did it? i did. with one of these.

this is a mouse trap? yeah. it's a new kind of mouse trap from ortho. home defense max. it's guaranteed to kill the mouse. you just push down this little lever right here... ...and it does the rest. nothing to see. nothing to touch. you just throw it away. no mess. no drama. we could do without drama. excuse me? (man) ortho home defense max. (woman) defend what's yours. - thanks, mom. - ...and perfect for 42-year-old men - pretending to be football players. - ( panting ) hey. with unbeatable prices on gatorade-- game time costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. game time costs less at walmart. how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies.

raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option. it is now 7:17, welcome back to "the early show." a little girl in washington state must have a guardian angel, an out of control just missed her. michelle gielan has the amazing pictures. >> reporter: watch the little girl in red. at first glance, it looks like the very worst has happened. but there was an angel sitting on 6-year-old jasmine's shoulder. >> had she moved one foot to the

left or one foot in front, you know, this could have been pretty bad for her. >> reporter: police say the driver of the red toyota was backing up at a high speed, only a cement-filled parking pole saved little jasmine, lifting the car above her. the driver was ticketed for reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. jasmine's tearful mom is just happy to have her baby back saying thank god he gave me another chance with her. as for jasmine -- >> are cars scary now? >> yes. >> why? >> because i get scared. >> reporter: cbs news, new york. now to the h1n1 virus. since april, 44 people in texas have died from the disease, seven of them children. now some parts of the state are being overrun by people who are sick. so one hospital has taken an unusual step to treat this new wave of patients. cbs news correspondent don teague has the story. >> reporter: if there was a question whether the h1n1 flu

would hit hard in austin, one look at the emergency room at dell children's medical center provides the answer. doctors here are seeing more than 200 people a day for flu symptoms alone. so many sick children, they've set up a flu triage outside the e.r. >> this will be used to treat low acuity patients and try to get them the care they need and get them home. >> reporter: on the inside, patients are checked for symptoms. tests for flu and treated with tamiflu if necessary. doctors at this hospital made the decision to set up these tents last week when computer models told them their flu situation was about to get much worse. the triage takes pressure off the primary e.r., getting help faster for kids with flu symptoms. >> i think it's wonderful. they're having overflow and trying to deal with the best they can. >> reporter: how long will the tents stay? doctors aren't sure but say flu season here hasn't peaked yet. don teague, cbs news, austin.

joining us now from austin is pat crocker at dell children's medical center. good morning, sir. >> good morning. how are you? >> this giant influx of patients. are they real patients? or is it panic? >> no, we have seen a large number of patients. and most of them actually meet the cdc criteria for treatment and evaluation. >> how sick are they? do they by and large require hospitalization? >> well, no, and the nice thing we've learned about the swine flu virus is it seems to be a mild to moderate flu. most people don't even need to see a doctor. we're starting to see a very small increase in the number of flu-related hospital admissions. but it's not been with critically ill patients. >> and as best you can tell with this giant influx, who is getting sick? what demographic? >> so far, about 75% of our cases have been in children under 14 years of age.

we're just starting to see a few cases in the older population. >> and among these kids, how much worse is it if they have an underlying condition like asthma or something like that? >> well, that's one of the key indicators of somebody at high risk. and that's somebody who is under 5, over 65, or has some chronic condition like asthma, lung disease, diabetes, or pregnant. >> and this is very early in the season. how much do you suspect these tents are really going to fill up in the weeks to come? >> well, we're concerned about what the volume will be. and we can scale this up. but i think we're just at the very front of this. and we'll probably take four weeks to peak. >> dr. crocker, thanks for your time. and good luck, sir. we'll be right back you're watching "the early show" on cbs. this portion of "the early show" sponsored by "soy joy," baked in history. s throughout history. in ancient china, soy was such an important food...

that the emperor declared it sacred. in japan, buddhist monks believed eating soy... was healthier for the body and spirit. for thousands of years, cultures around the world... have eaten soy for its health benefits. which is why today, we take whole soybeans, in their natural state, and bake them with fruit into soyjoy. dinner's ready! (announcer) back then, we didn't know much about saturated fat. let's eat.

(announcer) today, there's i can't believe it's not butter! it has no trans fat, 70% less saturated fat than butter, and less saturated fat than smart balance. i can't believe it's not butter! when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions. at world record speed. i'm luke myers. if you want to be incredible, eat incredible. announcer: eggs. incredible energy for body and mind. (guitar music) with "special savings" on select hand-made upholstery.

you choose the fabric... we custom make it. it's more affordable than you think. now with smart finance options for the way you live. welcome to chili's. try chili's triple dipper dinner. choose your three dippable favorites, like our chicken crisper bites, big mouth bites, and classic southwestern egg rolls. nine craveable options to choose from. build your perfect meal, only $9.99.

you'll never have to call them to the dinner table twice "but it looks pretty nasty outside" (announcer) grands at only $0.25 a biscuit you'll find any excuse to eat in

the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tackle challenges like climate change. what if that energy, came from an energy company. every day, chevron invests $62 million in people. in ideas. seeking, teaching, building. fueling growth around the world, to move us all ahead. this is the power of human energy. chevron. and not what you get? like electricity, for gadget power at your seat. room to stretch your legs... and your wingspan. food when you're hungry... and taking off your shoes only if you feel like it. these aren't luxuries, they're basics. get them back on acela. amtrak guest rewards members earn double points this fall for any trip on amtrak. details at amtrak.com

it is officially fall. and we've got a nice crowd out there on the plaza, including ladies in pink who raced with me in the race for the cure in washington, d.c. we had a lot of fun. welcome to them and welcome back to all of you. >> believe it or not, not all bread is created equal. some loaves look great, but aren't that nutritious. we'll show you how to get the best bang for your nutritious buck. also this morning, what do the boss, merrill streep, and jessica lang all have in common? >> they're a lot older than i

am. >> that's right. and we'll talk about them turning 60. but first in this half hour, a horrifying, almost unbelievable revelation from mackenzie phillips daughter of john phillips. the former child actress sat down with oprah winfrey to reveal a sorted secret. >> you're a woman who went out into the world -- >> reporter: mackenzie phillips one-time child star. and daughter of a musical legend. she took center stage in a taped interview on the oprah winfrey show to make a bomb shell announcement about a secret she says she's kept over 30 years. >> let's get to the secret that you have been keeping. >> reporter: that disturbing secret documented in phillips' new memoir, high on arrival is a sexual relationship she says she shared with her own father beginning in her late teens. at one point phillips writes "my father was not a man with boundaries. he was full of love and he was sick with drugs.

i woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father." her father john phillips front man of the 1960s super group the mamas and the papas died in 2001 after a lifelong battle with drugs and alcohol. but according to mackenzie, not before introducing her to the dangerous world of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. >> he put this needle in my arm and pushed the plunger in and he missed. >> missed the vein? and my whole arm went numb. >> reporter: despite this unimaginable abuse, she says she forgave her father on his death bed. i would not be the woman i am had i not been your daughter. so i want you to know i forgive you and i love you very, very much. the new issue of "us weekly" magazine features an interview with her half sister chynna phillips. good morning, bradley. >> good morning, maggie. >> so chynna and mackenzie have the same father but different

mothers. what did chynna say? >> she told us she kept it a secret actually for 12 years. mackenzie called her when she was at an airport once and said there's something i want to tell you and she told her and chynna said -- >> in a phone call? >> she said i think you need to know this. and chynna told "us weekly" it felt like a piano dropped on me. i wouldn't have felt any more pain. >> i know that some of mackenzie's siblings say they don't believe her story. does chynna believe it? >> that's right, and even her stepmother, michelle phillips told us how can you trust something that someone says when they've had a needle in their arm for 35 years. >> speaking about mackenzie phillips. >> and there were other phillips siblings who did not choose to comment for this story. so there is some questioning within the family about this. and, of course, mackenzie phillips herself has had a long history of drug abuse and problems with the law for 30 years. but yet this is what she's saying in her book.

and john phillips passed away in 2001. so he's not here to give his account of this story. >> what is chynna phillips saying about her relationship with her father john phillips? >> you know, she never really had one. her parents split when she was 2, she grew up in l.a., her dad was in new york. she said she only saw him once every couple of years. they really did not have much of a relationship. and, in fact, she never talked to him about the things that mackenzie told her during the four years that she knew before her dad passed away. >> so she never confronted him? >> never confronted him. >> i was surprised to hear billy bob chime in on this, as well. >> that's right, they've been married for 14 years, and he said he said he thought he heard it all, but when she told him, he was disgusted and thought it was a really terrible thing. >> why does this family? why does chynna think that mackenzie is putting this out there for everyone to know? >> she doesn't speculate about why. she says she wishes she knew

more about what mackenzie was going to say in this book. that she was privy to this information. yet interestingly enough, she is standing by her. she says she now speaks with her, texts with her every day and she is going to standby her as her sister. >> if what she says is true, then she's going to need all the support. all right, bradley, thanks so much. good to have you. right now, let's go back to georgia and check in again with dave. dave, good morning. >> morning to you, maggie. we want to give you the latest numbers we have. we heard from the red cross they have 421 people in five shelters across the atlanta area and some others throughout the state. lake lanier surged more than 3 feet in the last three days and it's remarkable considering two years ago it was at the lowest level in history. for today, georgia, dry for the most part, deep south, though, in sections of texas and louisiana, you got slammed with several inches of rain, more expected today. now, just about a foot of rain in hartsfield international over the last several days. let's take a look at the rest of

the picture across the nation right now. thunderstorms across portions of the south again could be the heaviest where we spoke about wilmington, north carolina, going to see some thundershowers, central appalachians too, and the rockies cold and wet. california, high heat and dry. >> all right. harry, i want to show you the camera b show right here. this area is raging like its own river, which you can see. and that's bringing out all

sorts of things, including some fish and look at this video we had earlier today in between our weather hits. >> all right. >> a beaver swimming in a roadway here. it's amazing what you're seeing. we talk about debris, but the display of wildlife is remarkable. cat fish swimming right at the corner of the gas station. it's an odd sight and water as far back as you can see, still plenty of trouble right down here in georgia. >> you should have brought your fly run. thanks very much, dave. up next, looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to bread. we'll show you how to choose the perfect loaf when we come back. would you like a pony ? yeah. would you like a pony ? yeah ! ( cluck, cluck, cluck ) oh, wowww ! that's fun ! you didn't say i could have a real one. well, you didn't ask.

even kids know when it's wrong to hold out on somebody. why don't banks ? we're ally, a new bank that alerts you when your money could be working harder and earning more. it's just the right thing to do. now you can get the latest name-brand hdtvs... where you already save. well, actually, just a few rows over... in walmart's expanded electronics department. get unbeatable prices on today's latest hdtvs from sony, vizio, philips, sharp and samsung... they're a lot closer than you think. save money. live better. walmart. [ air whooshes ]

♪ ♪ i promise to think of myself as a beautiful person. [ applause ] ♪

in this morning's health watch, bread. here to tell us how to pick the best most nutritious loaf for you and your family is our own dr. jennifer ashton. good morning. >> good morning, harry. >> i've got a little bread quiz for you. >> before we break bread together. >> we have a little carb quiz.

true or false, if bread is brown and has wheat on the label, it must be great and have a lot of fiber in it. true or false? >> i'm going to go with false. >> i'm shocked. >> this is important. when you're in the grocery store and look at the bag, you want to look at the first ingredient because that tells us the majority. and if it says enriched, not good. you want to look for whole wheat flour because packaging can be deceiving. >> i think a lot of people know that already. so they're going to go naturally to things like seven grain and 100% natural. are those the best choices? >> false. because again, it's all in the advertising and the packaging. when you look at the bread, you actually want to see some grains, whole grains in the bread. and again, look for whole wheat in the ingredients. >> all right. a bagel, all right. bagels are our friends around here. >> not if you want to consume less than 300 calories. >> really? >> 10 years ago they were relatively lower, now they can

have 300, 400, or 500 or more calories. and it's not even including what we have in them. what new yorker doesn't know the trick, you can just core out your bagel, still get the taste of it, but you're losing all of this extra bread. >> so if you core out your bagels, how many calories -- >> well, a lot less. depends on the overall size. >> true or false, bread can have a lot of salt? >> this is true, harry. now, again, they taste good, especially these kind of gourmet-looking breads. a lot of them can be loaded in salt and that's not even counting what we put on them. in some cases it can contain a quarter of the salt that you're allowed for an entire day. >> there you go. i bet you have a philosophy of bread eating. what sit? >> i only eat bread on the weekends. because i love bread, so if i eat too much of it. >> so your guilty pleasure. >> we indulge in it on the week. >> do you get a baguette? >> i don't even core out my

bagel. >> living on the edge with dr. jennifer ashton. up next, why the boss was born to run from old age. how 60 is the new something. this is "the early show" on cbs. cbs health watch sponsored by dulcolax stool softener for comfortable we leaf like nature intended. announcer: no surprises. no shocks. dulcolax stool softener provides stimulant-free constipation relief that's gradual and comfortable, like nature intended. dulcolax stool softener. feeling free to be. singers: feelin' free.

all free clear 2x concentrated detergent.

all free clear's powerful clean is free of the ingredients you'll find in most detergents: no perfumes... no dyes... no preservatives... free clear is specially designed for people with sensitive skin and has powerful stainlifters, so you can trust it to get the job done right. free clear is the number-one detergent recommended by dermatologists... so, for a pure clean, all free clear is all you need. ♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪ ooh! frosted blueberry?!? ♪ over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made for fun™.

"the early show" continues now from the general motors building in new york city. it is a big day for a rock super star, the boss is hitting a milestone but still looks and acts almost half his age. so is 60 the new 40? cbs news correspondent kelly wallace has the story. ♪ born in the usa >> reporter: 60 years ago, the boss was born. you heard that right, bruce

springsteen is turning 60, almost eligible for social security, but drawing crowds like he did in his 20s. >> i think 60 could be the new 40. you have a whole generation of fans who go out and, you know, who have been listening to bruce springsteen's music for 40 years. i think bruce is a good role model for all of us. >> reporter: for hollywood women, 60 was about as welcome as crows feet, not anymore, consider merrill streep and jessica lang. >> jessica lang for gray garden. >> reporter: with lang scoring an emmy for "gray gardens," and streep's portrayal of julia child generating buzz of a 16th oscar nomination. >> i really do think of it as a renaissance where these actors are freed of the constraints of worrying about age and are able to do some of their best work.

>> reporter: other celebrity notables already with an aarp card. gene simmons of kiss fame now famous for his own reality show. >> your car is waiting for you downstairs. >> reporter: twiggy, the first supermodel who burst on the scene in the '60s, celebrating her 60th birthday with a photo exhibit in london and billy joel. >> it's the classic paul mccarteny line, will you still need me when i'm 64? now paul mccarteny is well past 64. and he's still doing it. these people show no signs of slowing down. >> reporter: back to the boss whose birthday shows the man born to run can probably keep running at any age. kelly wallace, cbs news, new york.

so when that milestone arrives for you, will you happily embrace it? >> i thought it was going to be 59 this summer, i'm actually only 58. so i've got a long, long time. >> don't you love it when that happens. it's like finding money in your pocket. >> really good. i went to a rolling stones concert a couple of years ago and we were all in there and like -- >> walkers. >> not good. >> poor harry. i think 60 is the new 40 that makes 40 the new 20. i'm going with it. >> start me up. coming up, everything you ever wanted to know about your health, but were afraid to ask. our dr. jennifer ashton will set the record straight when we come back. welcome to chili's. try chili's triple dipper dinner. choose your three dippable favorites, like our chicken crisper bites, big mouth bites, and classic southwestern egg rolls. nine craveable options to choose from. build your perfect meal, only $9.99.

with "special savings" on select hand-made upholstery. you choose the fabric... we custom make it. it's more affordable than you think. now with smart finance options for the way you live. these are craisins, sweetened dried cranberries -- they're sweet. that's why bees like 'em. and this is the 100-calorie pack craisins. perfect for when you're on the go. they're really loud.

get 40% off this bonded leather sofa, just $299, with very cool styling and so affordable. and at 40% off, it's just $299. from jennifer. you don't have to spend a lot to have good taste. on fridays, i have hockey before school, so i take two eggo homestyle waffles and put peanut butter inside. i add a couple chocolate chips when dad's starting the car. there's only one way to eat an eggo -- your way. l'eggo my eggo. there's only one way to eat an eggo -- your way. how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year.

deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option.

chevy silverado. more confidence than ford f-150. better backed than f-150. at a value f-150 can't touch. silverado. from the family of the most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the road. get 0% apr for 60 months on every '09 silverado half-ton model. with an average finance savings of more than $6400. see your local chevy dealer. there's nothing more important than our health. so when it comes to health reform, we need a solution that works for all of us. now the president and congress have a plan that combines the best ideas, from democrats and republicans, business owners and workers, doctors, nurses and patients. a plan that keeps bureaucrats out of your health care

you choose your own doctor, make your own decisions, and you can't be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. that's reform we can all feel good about. and we all have doubt. but when the moment comes... what's going to win? here's to confidence.

gillette helps you look, feel, be your best. gillette. the best a man can get.

more pain for john travolta and his family as the extortion case surrounding his son's death gets underway in the bahamas. england's prince william's new royal proclamation. >> strength to pull that way. i think there's also a lot more from actually doing stuff. >> he opens up about his two inspirations, his mom and his grandmother. and call them the late, late mentalists. we'll talk with craig ferguson and simon baker early this wednesday morning, september 23rd, 2009.

captioning funded by cbs >> nice crowd. hold the whistle. right over there. stand over there. >> now do it. >> now whistle. why? why would you do this? why? >> because we were falling asleep, right? and then they wake up us. >> no, the way to wake up, slowly come. this is -- with a great deal of respect, this is too loud. >> no, no, no. >> there actually is a phenomena. there are people in this country, like this woman right here who goes to bed with you and wakes up with me. >> that's not right. >> your reputation is out the window, ma'am. >> she's proud of it.

so i guess we are combining "the early show" and the "late, late show" this morning. craig ferguson, who has a new book out. >> no, really, it's all right. it's really all right. thanks. i can't remember. >> we also have -- you know who else is here? simon baker of "the meantalist." >> oh, he's dreamy. >> can we do a little bit of a cbs acronym quiz? his character on the show is an agent for cbi. what does that stand for? >> connecticut bureau of investigation. >> connecticut bureau of investigation. >> so close, california bureau of investigation. what about ncis? >> national company is sexy. >> it is. >> criminal investigative services.

lastly, csi. >> can't believe it's not butter. >> crime scene investigators. >> there you go. much more with craig ferguson talking about his new book r book, and all the other stuff, but first, russ mitchell at the news desk. another first for president obama. he's delivering his debut address to the u.n. general assembly this morning. in prepared remarks, mr. obama says the u.s. seeks a new engagement with the world. but he says all nations must share responsibility for what he calls "a global response to global challenges." while libyan leader gadhafi is in new york for the u.n. meeting, a large tent with camel-themed fabric on the walls was erected on the trump estate. trump's office is looking into the matter, but the town of bedford ordered the works stopped and trump also says the

property is being leased. the g-20 economic summit begins tomorrow in pittsburgh, and demonstrators are gearing up. more from pittsburgh. >> reporter: it's become a trend, world leaders meet and violent protests break out. it's happened in cities like genoa, italy, quebec, and seattle. >> do we wave flags? >> some believe pittsburgh will be armageddon. >> reporter: marty griffin says his callers are afraid that the scenes played out in seattle will be replayed here in the steel city. >> will there be damage? i think there will be. will there be arrests? i think there'll be arrests. >> reporter: some businesses have started boarding up their windows. >> i feel like that i'm in a war zone. >> i think it's kind of scary. >> reporter: look no farther than the web to find signs encouraging groups to wreak havoc and destroy the g-20. >> i think many will be coming

who are passionate and using a diversity of tactics to express that passion and outrage. >> reporter: the city will spend $18 million on security, a three-block perimeter around the convention center will be locked down and more than 4,000 officers will try to stop this from happening. >> it is inevitable that folks will visit our town and will visit it with one intention in mind and that is to cause harm. >> reporter: susan koeppen, cbs news, pittsburgh. sarah palin made her first major public appearance since she resigned as governor of alaska. she was in hong kong this morning. she said she was giving them a view from main street usa. it could be an emotional day for actor john travolta in an extortion case where he'll have to relive the painful memories of his son's death. the latest from the bahamas. >> reporter: after a relatively slow start, the prosecution got through several witnesses on tuesday. and that means john travolta

could testify at some point today. he's reportedly on the island waiting to be called as a prosecution witness. if he does testify, he'll have to relive that devastating day his son jett died for the first time publicly. the extortion case against ambulance driver and local politician pleasant bridgewater centers around what happened the day jett travolta died and how john travolta reacted to it. he collapsed on the floor in the bahamas. the jury heard four witnesses tuesday. the first, a police officer, who said after jett was put in the ambulance, the defendant told him john travolta wanted his son taken to the airport not the hospital and signed a waiver denying care. but the third witness, a paramedic told jurors jett was taken to the hospital, that john travolta was in the back of the ambulance with him and a waiver of care never came into play.

prosecutors argue the defendants threatened to go public with a fake waiver unless travolta paid them $25 million. both defendants say they're innocent and without travolta, legal experts say it'll be tough to peruse otherwise. >> if i were prosecuting this case, i would want to put john travolta on the stand and keep him on as long as possible, he's the emotional core of this case. >> reporter: after tuesday's testimony, there are a lot of questions that only john travolta can answer. for example, did he sign anything? what was his contact with the ambulance driver that day? and how and when was he approached with that $25 million demand? cbs news, nassau, bahamas. also this morning, a boy in china was rescued from a very tight spot. the 3-year-old was playing hide and seek when he got his head stuck between two concrete pillars. ouch. he was stuck for hours. rescuers used chisels and an

electric saw to finally free him. he suffered only bruises. and it is 8:07 on this wednesday morning. now back to dave in georgia with another check of the weather. good morning, dave. >> good morning to you, russ. it's amazing what can move with a flow of water through a community. we're taking a look right here at what must be 500-pound piece of lumber, piece of tree which has floated to the corner of this gas station. and as we take our second camera shot and begin to survey, you can see how much damage is here at a relatively busy intersection. you can see an abandoned car, water flowing like it's its own river, of course, a bp station in the background. old alabama road just 20 miles outside of atlanta, the rain has stopped, but the damage still being assessed. there are 11 bridge inspection teams, two dive teams, state police, local and municipal police being stretched to their limits to try and take a look and see what damage has been done and to make sure everyone

is safe. let's take a look at the map see what's going to happen across the country. southern soaking in areas of texas, eastern texas, louisiana, and mississippi. scattered showers a possibility here, but a nice morning so far. it will remain mostly dry here in georgia after devastating rain. widening out the picture even more, the rockies are going to be cold with temperatures in the 50s today. good 20 degrees below their normal high in some locations. and in fact, there was some snow in some of the higher elevations. the northeast is going to be cool and dry and the west coast dry and dangerous, fire conditions th

this weather report sponsored by kohl's, the more you know the more you kohl's. kohl's expect great things. >> that's your latest weather. we'll send it back to you in new york. yes, dr. jennifer ashton did get your questions on twitter and she'll be back in the next segment to answer them here on "the early show" on cbs. ♪

our natural sweetener comes with zero calories and a clean sweet taste. it won't insult your intelligence or make your butt look fat. it's the sweetness of the stevia plant served straight up, honest, uncomplicated. enjoy. try the first great-tasting, zero-calorie natural sweetener born from nature. truvia. honestly sweet. find it at your grocery store. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and conditions.

stains surrender to the power of all. our powerful stainlifters fight stains and leave clothes whiter and brighter. win the battle for clean clothes while saving over 25% versus the leading brand. for coupons, go to all-laundrytv.com what are you really buying? a shiny coat of paint? a list of features? what about the strength of the steel, the integrity of it's design? or how it responds in extreme situations. the deeper you look, the more you see the real differences. and the more you understand what it means to own a mercedes-benz. the c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for special offers through mercedes-benz financial.

and freedom of the outdoors for your indoor cat. specially formulated to promote hairball control... and healthy weight. friskies indoor wet cat food. feed the senses. time for "ask it early." jennifer ashton is here to answer the questions you have sent on twitter and web cams. good morning. >> good morning. >> she's in atlanta. let's get right to catherine. hello, catherine, what is your question? >> good morning. >> i'd like to know if you think all new mothers should be

screened for post partem depression. >> absolutely. it affects about 1 in 10 of new mothers. >> in case people didn't hear her question. should everyone be screened for post-partem depression. >> the answer is overwhelmingly yes. it should not have the social stigma. this is not about being over tired or a little moody this. is a medical problem and it can have significant consequences to both the mother and the baby. and so the sooner it's identified, the sooner it can be treated. and those treatments can include everything from medication to talk therapy to even things like yoga. it's very important. great question. >> good question. this one, we have another question from adrienne who says i am pregnant and have come in contact with someone with the flu, what do i need to do? that's a good question. >> very important. and the first thing i said to her, communicate with your o.b. doctor immediately.

does not mean you, yourself, will get sick. but we know pregnant women are at a much higher risk of serious complications and early treatment with things like tamiflu if you were to develop symptoms is very important. >> and this can be done? you can do it? >> absolutely. >> next question also from twitter. she wants to know if there are breast cancer testing options for women under 40? >> sure. the first thing is a good family history really needs to be taken by a doctor. if you have a first-degree relative, which is a mother, sister, daughter, who has had breast cancer at an early age, generally we start screening that person at ten years earlier. so that means if someone was diagnosed at 40, they start getting screened at 30 with mammograms, things like mri, ultrasound, and there's a genetic blood test called brca if you have a strong family history that's very important. >> so the tests are the same, you just start earlier? >> exactly. >> here's the question, so many people are concerned about it if you don't have that connection, are there any options available?

>> nothing that's generally accepted by the american cancer society. but again, prevention is key, healthy lifestyle, and knowing your family history is probably the most important. >> self-exam. also, finally, jonathan wants to know more about food supplements. he is on the web. good morning, sir. >> good morning. hi. hi, dr. ashton. thanks for taking my call. i was very interested to know what you can tell americans about how to get high quality food supplements. many people are told by their doctor, for instance, to take a fish oil supplement for their lipids, but there are more than one choice. what can you tell americans about finding the right supplement for them? >> jonathan, thank you. >> excellent question. first of all, the supplements and vitamins are not regulated in exactly the same way we regulate medications. you do need a little bit of the buyer beware, it's not always correlated with costs. so the highest cost are not necessarily the best. you want to go for something

that has a seal. there are two seals we look for, one called the united states phamico. i tell my patients it's better than the fish oil supplements is the actual fish. two oily fish meals a week will give you 500 milligrams of the omega oils you need to help prevent things like heart disease. great question. >> i love that our viewers have direct access to you with their medical questions. >> we are loving it. keep sending the questions. >> keep sending it. if you do have any general medical questions, go to twitter. it's really easy. people say what's that? go to twitter.com, sign on and you can find dr. ashton at drj. why prince william wants to follow his mother's footsteps. - ( funk music playing ) - let's put a few thousand kilowatts in a vise.

squeeze some savings back into our budget. into our attics and walls. let's locate the original energy source called you and turn that machine up full-blast. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. come get 50% more savings on insulation with the new lower price of just $9.37 per roll. come get 50% more savings on insulation [ announcer ] soy has been in ancient china, soy was such an important food... that the emperor declared it sacred. in japan, buddhist monks believed eating soy... was healthier for the body and spirit. for thousands of years, cultures around the world... have eaten soy for its health benefits. which is why today, we take whole soybeans, in their natural state, and bake them with fruit into soyjoy.

well, it seems princes william and harry are looking to dramatically change their lives. and william is opening up about who he wants to emulate. in london with the story, good morning, manuel barts morning, mark. >> reporter: good morning, harry. chomping a little bit at the silver bit. wanting to be more than just pretty faces. the princes like their mother do a lot of charity work. that involves showing up and cutting ribbons, but the princes want to do more than that. the princely brother act starts with brotherly banter even when the brother's not there. >> harry's not here, he's flying, he's not very good, he has to do more than me. >> reporter: william's lament is he wants to participate in causes, like this excursion for

homeless people. he doesn't merely want to be an ornament. >> there's a place for being an ornament, you know, shaking hands and showing support in that way, but i think there's an awful lot more from actually doing stuff and this is an example where i just want to, you know, be more involved and be sort of doing a slightly different angle. >> reporter: william's problem is at the center of the royal dilemma. the role of the family in british life is to act literally as figure heads, the symbolic top of the establishment totem pole. that can be frustrated for those royals who feel they have something useful to contribute. william's mother showed a deep commitment to the causes she adopted. too deep a commitment some other royals thought. his other model is his grandmother, the queen whose name is associated with hundreds of charities. >> i've been trying to take the best out of both of their lives. you could just show up for

things. there's always a good reason to do that. but it's about bringing other things into it, as well. >> reporter: this is all part of the princes' greater problem, what to do with their lives. prince william, of course, will be king one day, but that day is a long time from now. there's a lot of short-term problems to deal with between now and then. harry? >> interesting to hear him speak out about this. is this making any ripples over there? what's the reaction? welcome? >> reporter: yes, welcome. it's the dilemma. how dirty can the royals get their hands in this. and when they get involved in charities, how political does that become? william's father charles, of course, keeps tripping othver things in that respect. it seems like a life of privilege, but it can be a tough road to host sometimes. >> thanks very much. nice location. >> always beautiful. >> not bad at all. >> i think it's great he's advocating for this. this has to evolve like his mother would've wanted.

>> they're so mature. somebody who turned 40 this summer. and he's loving it. "the mentalist" with simon baker. ♪ "breakfast doesn't really start

until the grands are on the table" grands biscuits. would it really be breakfast without 'em? for money saving coupons go to... pillsbury.com.

there's nothing more important than our health. so when it comes to health reform, we need a solution that works for all of us. now the president and congress have a plan that combines the best ideas, from democrats and republicans, business owners and workers, doctors, nurses and patients. a plan that keeps bureaucrats out of your health care you choose your own doctor, make your own decisions, and you can't be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. that's reform we can all feel good about.

the whistlers are going nuts again. over simon baker who is with us this morning. welcome back, simon. >> welcome. thanks. all i'm hearing is i've got some sort of golden oldies in one ear and all of this other business in the other ear. >> that's right. there's a lot going on. >> that's morning tv. >> this is bizarre. i'm like robo man. >> so your new season starts tomorrow night, "mentalist" season number two. your character's very observant

and perceptive. what do you perceive about this crowd this morning? >> they like pink. >> oh, he's good. see. he's good. >> in character? >> yeah, i didn't even look. >> wow. >> i could see on the monitors. >> craig ferguson will be with us in a few minutes. he's got a brand new book. but first we want to go to dave in georgia for a final check of the weather. one more good morning to you, dave. >> all right, harry. you can see where we are right now. let's take our second camera shot. dave gladstone is operating our second camera. we're at the intersection of old alabama road this is normally a busy intersection. and this morning it's a lake. earlier, though, earlier it was a river with a really quite a current flowing through it. but in the last several hours, five or six hours that we've been here, we've actually watched using the telephone booth right here. we've watched the water line go

down. now reggie, can you zoom into the telephone pole in the back there. you can see the water mark on that pole, where that water mark was at about 8 feet or so. and now it's begun to come down. but damage here in this area expected at about $250 million out of georgia and purdue asking for president obama for federal assistance. let's check the weather around the rest of the country to see what's happening. it'll be cool and gray as we head to the northeast, everybody, the west coast is going to see high heat. temperatures will be warm ones again. and there is a fire danger out there. we have fires burning currently. as we head to the rockies, cool temperatures continue to prevail and wet conditions as you head to portions of eastern texas. and into portions of louisiana and mississippi, as well. the damage assessment continues this morning here in georgia. a lot of work yet to be done, nine people among the dead so far.

>> that's a quick look at your weather picture. maggie, back to you in new york. while humans are dealing with the h1n1 virus, there's another virus that pet owners need to know about because it's spreading in the dog world. our resident veterinarian is here with the details. >> good morning, maggie. it's called h3n8 or canine influenza. there's a new vaccine available, which is a good thing because no dog has natural immunity to this

very contagious virus. in 2004, a mysterious virus raced through greyhounds at florida racetracks almost as fast as they can run. it caused coughing, high fever, runny noses, and in many cases life threatening pneumonia. >> it was disturbing because of the fact that so many dogs were sick and some were dying. >> reporter: within six months this devastating disease had spread to 14 tracks in six states. a year later in 2005, the virus was still spreading. but finally, some answers. dr. cynda crawford, veterinarian at the university of florida's veterinary school identified the bug. >> it is highly contagious, virtually all dogs exposed to this virus will become infected. >> reporter: today this highly contagious virus has been identified in 30 states, affecting thousands of dogs in shelters, boarding kennels, and doggy day care facilities.

the spread of the virus seems to have plateaued in many areas, however, four to five states still seeing outbreaks, florida, colorado, new york, pennsylvania, and there is an outbreak currently in virginia it seems. maggie, a little scary. >> it is scary. that dog we saw creep into your shot is harley, he's going to get a flu shot. let me ask you before we get to the flu shot. is this anything like h1n1? >> well, it's a type a, influenza, however it is not swine flu, the canine influenza is not contagious to humans. there's no evidence that it can be given to people or other piece sei species. the mortality rate is about 5%. very similar to the human h1n1, generally it's mild, there's cough, nasal discharge, sometimes with a secondary bacterial infection, many recover from it except for those who go on to pneumonia. >> what has been your experience? >> several years ago there was an outbreak in our area.

we think it came from a dog who used to go to a doggie day care center in the city. and because it's so contagious, quite a few dogs got ill from it. and that's what we saw. we saw a lot of dogs coughing, nasal discharge, fever, anywhere from mild to severe. most of the dogs got over it in one or two weeks. some of the dogs did progress to pneumonia and one or two did pass away from it. >> all right. so the best thing we can all do for our dogs is do what we're going to do for harley this morning. >> yes, she's going to vaccinate harley. she's in the group that should be vaccinated. dogs that go to kennels, doggie day cares, go to grooming parlors because this is a virus that spreads in communal areas should be vaccinated and people that work with animals should vaccinate their own animals. go ahead. it's going right under the skin. two shots, one today and two to four weeks one more. he says i felt that, mom.

>> good job, charlie. >> this is called a lifestyle vaccine. if you have a dog that's at home, stays in your yard and never comes in contact with other dogs, probably doesn't need this. but if you travel, go to kennels, this is for you. >> thank you, doctors, both of you. >> our pleasure. and now back over to harry. >> that's a brave dog. we're cringing over here. all right. it's early, early morning for craig ferguson, host of the "late, late show." the actor, comedian, and novelist has written his brand new novel chronicling his life from his scottish childhood to his late night success. how are you doing? >> i'm scared you're going to give me a flu shot while i'm here. >> well, we don't want to give you the dog flu. >> it's all right. i warn you if you give me a flu shot, i will bite you. and may run around here and maybe i'll do my business before i leave. >> speaking of which, this is the perfect transition.

early in the book, you're such a good writer. >> thank you. >> really good writer, very disarming. here we are chapter four. i don't say this to try to impress you, but i was a bedwetter until around 11 years old, then i stopped, not for long, i started drinking alcohol regularly in my early teens, in which i returned to intermittent bedwetting until i was 29. >> there you go. that sounds about right. >> who writes that? >> someone who is telling you what happened. the thing is when you drink alcohol the way i drank alcohol, it can have a spectacular and flamboyant effect on you when you're asleep. >> how dramatic? >> yeah. it's one of the more attractive sides of active alcoholism, i think. occasionally i would wake up to someone, you know, and i'm trying to blame it on them. but it never really worked out. >> you set out to -- >> maybe it was them. maybe i'm wrong. >> see.

you may want to we re-think. >> right. >> how long were you a drunk? >> well, i guess about 15 years. i started drinking in my teenage years and i stopped when i was 29. about 15, 14 or 15 years. >> how did you know what was the moment at which you said? >> you know, people ask that -- what was the moment. i don't think there was -- when did you hit rock bottom. for me it wasn't really like that. i kind of -- it's not that i hit rock bottom, i kind of lived there. i had a condo in rock bottom for a while. there were moments along the way. i was getting hints from the universe for a long time. i was in a bar in australia at 9:00 in the morning and the barmaid said, you drink too much. a barmaid who works in a bar in australia that's open at 9:00 in the morning, maybe i have -- and

i drank for about eight years after that. >> maybe. maybe, maybe, maybe. how much of a difference then in your life post drinking to pre-drinking? >> oh, night and day. night and day. i couldn't -- i thought i had that whole bunch of problems. and, you know, and so i drank to kind of alleviate them. that wasn't really true. i had one major problem with a lot of spectacular side effects. i had it the wrong way around. >> it's interesting. just because we live in this world where we observe this. and you open up an entire -- your entire life about this. >> sure. >> are there days when you think i want to go back there? >> go in and go back and have a drink? >> there are days i want to do things i don't want to do. do you ever get an urge to do something and think, if i do that, that probably wouldn't work out well for me? >> but now you actually listen to your own voice? >> yeah, i do a little bit.

and also i'm getting too old. i'm too old and cranky, i can't take people yelling in the morning. whistling at you. >> there's so much great about this book, not the least of which it's very, very, very funny. >> thank you. >> and you love this country. >> i do, yeah. i'm very -- like most -- like all naturalized americans that i've met, i'm fiercely patriotic. america is a philosophy for me. it's a way of thinking, it's an aspiration, if you like. and so i -- i am, yeah. i do love america very much. i'm very conscious of it. >> great book. advance praise for "american on purpose" from everybody from keith olbermann to david letterman. >> yeah. yeah, that's right. who would've thought you'd get dave to read the book. >> it's a good show. you're a very talented person. >> thank you very much.

>> thanks very much. to read an excerpt go to our website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. there's maggie. >> with simon. >> hi, i worked in that bar. >> in australia? >> i didn't. i didn't. >> you had the shift before, right? >> i did work in a lot of pubs in sidney, though. >> but it was a place in melbourne, do you -- did you ever drink down there? >> no. i didn't drink down there. >> i don't know. we'll find out. we'll ask him. simon baker is here, star of the "the mentalist" which was the number one show of last season with 17 million viewers every week. emmy and golden globe nominee simon baker returns tomorrow night for his second season of patrick jane who is shocked to learn he's been taken off a very personal case. >> agent bosco and his unit are taking over the red john case.

>> what? >> you have always been too close to the case and now both of you are way too close. we need to make a change. >> can we talk about this? >> no. >> you work for agent bosco, you know he will do the job right. >> theresa, no offense, but you guys aren't even close to catching this guy. fresh set of eyes got to be a good idea. >> what do you know about the case? >> simon baker, fourth time here. thank you for coming back. >> good morning. >> good morning. i want to follow up on craig's question. right, craig, you want me to ask? are you too pretty to go drinking in the pubs? >> am i too pretty to go drinking in the pubs? >> no, thank you, i'm good. >> tell you what, you drive a man to drink. no, i used to work in pubs in australia. >> you did? >> yeah, that was my acting school, really. some of the shenanigans you see. i know what he's talking about. i remember a lot of guys that would be waiting at the doors

when i'd open the door at the pub and they'd be waiting there like tapping on the glass like you going to open it now. >> like craig ferguson. >> generally a little bit older than craig. and you'd poor them a beer and it'd be empty almost by the time they got to the table because they'd be shaking so much. >> you learned something that worked in all of those pubs about acting because not only did you get an emmy nomination in the first season, it was also the most watched news show. were you surprised how quickly it took off? >> yeah. you know, these things if they hit that sort of mass market in that way and people embrace it, then, yeah. there's no -- it exceeds any expectation. you just want -- you don't want to embarrass yourself when the thing actually premieres, you're hoping that there's enough people that more people watching it then were actually working on it. >> right. right. >> if you can hit that number,

you're happy, and from anywhere above that is just gravy. >> and now you're back. is there pressure to keep up with the success? and you're going to be in that coveted 10:00 p.m. thursday nighttime slot? >> there's an element of pressure. it's not something that is taking it on. there are a lot of other people whose jobs are to worry about that. i'll let them busily make their living worrying about that stuff. >> and you do your thing. >> yeah. >> you've had a nice relaxing summer here. when you were here last time you said you were looking forward to it. what did you do? >> i did a film. i worked. >> hey. >> well, it was relaxing in the sense that it was a totally different environment to the show. we have such a set infrastructure on the show. everyone knows each other really well, we work a particular way, we have an enormous amount of work to get through each day. and each episode. in 22 or 23 episodes a year. i went and did a smaller film

recently low budget in oklahoma and in new mexico. >> oh, my. did you get any surfing in? >> i did, i went to el salvador with some friends. i went to the el salvador coast due south and i went to the east side of it with a few mates. a couple of mates i've known since i was 7 years old. >> that's great. and now you're here with your 8-year-old son. you have three kids, including one teenager. how do they feel about everything that's happening with daddy's life? do they care? do they get it? >> i think they care. i'm not sure that, you know, i'm still dad. i still embarrass them dancing at parties and stuff. but i'm still dad. >> yeah. and dad turned 40 this year. how does that feel? >> you're really hammering with this sort of grown-up stuff. yeah, i turned 40. >> how does it feel? is it a good thing? >> yeah, i think it's fine. it's inevitable, isn't it? you can't stop the hands of time.

i still feel like i haven't figured out what i'm going to do when i grow up. >> that's good. i bet that keeps you young. >> well, i pretend for a living, so i can pretend i'm still peter pan. >> all right, thank you, simon. >> thank you. >> we look forward to the new season and you can watch "the mentalist" thursdays at 10:00. he's a master on the mandolin, chef bill peet will teach us the perfect way to pickle. this is "the early show" on cbs. the irresistible "cinnabon" aroma of pillsbury cinnamon rolls

bring everyone to the table in their sunday best until the grands are on the table" grands biscuits. would it really be breakfast without 'em? for money saving coupons go to... pillsbury.com. how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story. we want good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option.

now that fall is here, time to preserve that last summer harvest. bill peet at new york's patroon restaurant is here to teach us pickling. and to share some great recipes using pickled produce.

>> thank you, harry. >> first, i'd like to show you a little bit about the different mandolins that are out there. you can get it -- >> if you're going to pickle, you need to make sure it's all shredded up just right. >> yeah, it's all uniform cuts. >> i've never used one of these, i'm scared, should i be? >> yes. >> in a word. >> well, you should have a guard. >> one of these jobs? >> yeah. or just don't go all the way down. >> yeah because then your hand goes. >> yeah, like this blade right here is like a razor. >> not good. you want me to do some carrots? >> yeah, you can. let me show you. >> all right. that's how you're going to hurt yourself. >> keep an even, okay. >> right. and look at this, though, the way it turns out. i feel like the guy on the infomercial, you can do this at

home. what do we with stuff like this? >> well, let me show you the recipe that we're going to do today is an heirloom tomato salad. it's the end of the season, there are still good tomatoes out there. >> gorgeous tomatoes out there. so we want to take a little onion then? >> the quick pickling method is very simple. in fact, you can do it. it will take one day. >> one day, okay. >> so a couple of hours. you're going to cut your onions. and then basically -- >> look -- you know what? where has that been all my life? you want to know what to get me for my birthday, get me a mandolin. >> okay. so with these onions, we want to really over salt them. >> okay. wow. that's a serious amount of salt there. >> it looks like a lot of salt and it is. what we're do i think is we're wilting these vegetables. and by wilting them, it takes a lot of the moisture out. they get very limp, but they're still crunchy because they're still raw. >> all right.

so we're wilting, we're crunching, what happens next? >> okay. so we're going to make a little syrup. it's a simple syrup. basically it's -- >> not with that. >> it's water. and sugar. >> i almost ruined the recipe. >> water and sugar one to one, one cup to one cup. bring this to a boil and then we're going to add this vinegar. either chery vinegar or cider vinegar. >> what's the last? >> okay. well, then -- once the onions are in there for two hours, we're going to take them out, rinse them, dry them, put them in a container. this is the finished syrup. >> right. >> and so once you have that, you can apply it to all kinds of great dishes. what's this here? >> well, that's a pickled sweet and sour vegetable. it's the same way. the same method.

basically -- >> well, that looks awesome, right? i'll tell you what, it's better to go to the web and people can see exactly how to get this done for these recipes and more on pickling, go to our

it is somewhat cloudy and more humid. i'm kim martucci. it is wednesday morning. cloudy skies and 73 degrees and a southwest wind at three miles an hour. checking out the neighbors to the north. 70 frederick. 72 hagerstown. south and west, culpeper is 63. 71 at this hour in fredericksburg. the game plan today, pretty much keep it cloudy. we will have 1078 hints of sunshine and a warm day ahead, too. 82. the same chances of an sunshine holds true for spotty showers in to the afternoon. so if you remember yesterday's weather it will be very similar and warm, despite the fact that

it is the first full day of autumn. patranya bhoolsuwan is keeping an eye on the wednesday drive. let's check in with her. approaching 9:00 this morning and we have a problem on 50 westbound. let's look there. a disabled vehicle at 197 in maryland, and it's blocking the left shoulder at this hour. we have another disabled vehicle now t at u.s. 1 south, right before the beltway. so keep track of that. we are seeing delays through the area. go outside and say hello to the outer loop. things out there, 95 to georgia a lot of cars moving, volume but no incidents or accidents to report and finally 395 northbound still jammed between the beltway to the 14th street bridge. back to you. >> thank you. here's your seven-day forecast. today and tomorrow, very similar. warm in the 80s with more clouds than sun and a few chances of a couple of isolated showers. then on friday, a nice day. we ease back to the middle 70s. saturday for the terps, partly

cloudy. cool, 70. some rain moves in on saturday night, i think last sunday morning and as we head in to monday morning next week 79. i hope you will join me for my live simulcast. we'll see you there. ♪

(announcer) "new simply cookies from pillsbury. simply wholesome ingredients and nothing more." how do you decide between crunchy and soft tacos?

why don't we have both? old el paso. hard n soft tacos. true genius. mexican style.